The Conversations That Shape Information Management

Let’s Be Honest: Information Managers Need Vendors More Than They’d Like to Admit.

Let’s start with a slightly uncomfortable truth.Information managers love to roll their eyes at vendors – until they need them.

Too many sales calls. Too many buzzwords. Too many product demos that promise to solve everything from data governance to the meaning of life.

But here’s the real confession: information managers rely on vendors far more than they might admit.

In fact, the relationship between practitioners and technology providers has never been more important than it is right now.

The information management landscape is changing at a remarkable pace. AI is reshaping how organisations think about data. Regulations continue to evolve. The sheer volume of information organisations generate grows every year.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that sits the information professional, trying to ensure that everything is governed, accessible, secure and compliant.

It’s a big job. And increasingly, it’s one that requires the right technology partners. The days when information management could be handled purely through policy and process are long gone. Today’s organisations rely on sophisticated systems for archiving, classification, governance, discovery and long-term digital preservation.

But successful technology adoption doesn’t come from buying software alone. It comes from conversations. The best vendor relationships are rarely transactional. They develop through dialogue, collaboration and mutual understanding. Information and record managers need suppliers who genuinely understand the pressures they face, while vendors need insight into the real challenges organisations are dealing with on the ground.

For those serious about aligning their roadmap with real world needs, conversations at IRMS often spark product features, redesigns or entirely new service lines.

This is where industry events like IRMS Conference in May 2026 play an important role. Because while webinars and virtual meetings have their place, nothing quite replaces the conversations that happen when practitioners and suppliers meet face-to-face.

Ask any experienced information professional about the conferences they attend regularly, and you will hear the same thing: the best insights often come from informal discussions rather than formal presentations.

A chance conversation over coffee. A discussion that starts at an exhibition stand and continues over dinner. A new idea sparked by hearing how another organisation approached a similar challenge.

These moments are where learning really happens.

Years ago we introduced a simple idea at IRMS: giving every supplier one minute on the main stage to introduce themselves to the entire conference. It is something I now see appearing at many events across the industry, which is genuinely great to see. When something works and helps practitioners discover new solutions, it deserves to spread.

Those quick introductions bring out the human behind every vendor name, and that creates a powerful start to the remaining two days of conference conversations.

It’s one of the reasons IRMS Conference is often credited with reshaping how events engage suppliers.

Events like IRMS Conference are also where vendors gain the insight that helps them refine their products and services to better support the profession, and we are delighted to have long provided one of the key meeting points for these conversations.

Each year the event brings together information professionals from across a wide range of sectors alongside the vendors who develop the technologies that support them. The programme combines strategic keynote sessions with practical case studies, while the Information Market exhibition provides a space where practitioners can explore new solutions and discuss their challenges directly with suppliers.

For delegates, this offers an opportunity to see what innovation looks like in practice.

For vendors, it provides something even more valuable: the chance to listen.

It is no surprise that many of the organisations shaping the future of information management choose to be present each year – not simply to showcase technology, but to listen, learn and be part of the wider professional conversation.

Understanding what practitioners actually need – rather than what vendors think they need – is essential if technology is going to evolve in ways that genuinely support the profession.

And as information management continues to move higher up the organisational agenda, those conversations become even more important.

AI governance, digital preservation, regulatory compliance and data strategy are all areas where technology will play a major role. But the success of these initiatives will depend not just on the tools organisations use, but on the relationships between the people implementing them and the organisations developing them.

So perhaps it is time for information managers to admit something. Vendors are not the enemy.

In fact, when the relationship works well, they can be some of the profession’s most valuable partners. And the best place to start building those partnerships is often simply by being in the same room as partnerships don’t start in inboxes. They start in conversations – real ones. And the industry’s most important conversations are happening at IRMS Conference.

More Info & Registration: https://irmsconference.org.uk/2026-programme-wales/

See Us in the Information Market:

OASIS Group – Information Secured
Act Now Training / Crown Information Management / Dastra / DeepStore / ELO Digital Office – International / Epiq / Freevacy Ltd / Geoff Smith Associates Ltd / ibml / Iron Mountain / Leadership Through Data / Objective Corporation / O’Neil Software / Orinoco 365 / Oyster IMS – Information Management Solutions / PFU (EMEA) Limited – A RICOH Company / Preservica / Restore Information Management / Tkm Consulting & Associates / UK Software Limited / Wales Accord on the Sharing of Personal Information